It is hard to cope with someone who does not want to play the same game you want to play. You don't want to hurt their feelings. Yet you also want them to know why you might not want to do things with them. This happens to Cal and Ada. Cal and Ada are two of the many monster friends who play together in the 'I Feel When' book series. Ada copes with her feeling of frustration in this twelfth book of the series. Aida struggles with finding Cal and getting him to join the others to play ball with the group. Cal continues to hide in a tree while she looks for him. This frustrates Ada. All the other monsters are ready to play ball and she can not find Cal to start the game. Cal is unaware that Ada is afraid of heights and does not want to join him in the tree. Ada invites Cal to participate playing ball and he declines because he likes being in the tree. Finally, she tells him how she feels and they work out their feelings towards one another.

This colorful book opens the door to discussing frustration in a nonthreatening way for younger audiences. It also uses nonviolent communication as described on the YouTube channel 'Dealing with Feelings' by psychotherapist Dr. Jim Porter and Karen Porter in their weekly show 'Feeling Fridays'. The husband-and-wife team invites you to explore feelings with your young reader as they begin to read. See how these furry friends learn appropriate ways to express feelings and solve problems by coping with their feelings through listening to one another and observing each other without judgement, expressing feelings and needs, and coping with feelings in compassionate helpful ways.